Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the world-famous Afsluitdijk along with Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten during his two-day trip to the European country. The visit was not just a symbolic stop during the diplomatic tour but also carried a strong India-focused message linked to water management, flood protection and infrastructure development. The Afsluitdijk Dam, considered one of the world’s most important hydraulic engineering projects, became the centre of discussions between the two leaders as India looks to learn from Dutch expertise for its ambitious Kalpasar project in Gujarat. PM Modi said the Netherlands had done “groundbreaking work” in water management and stressed that the global community had a lot to learn from the country’s experience in dealing with floods and water resources.
Dutch engineering model seen as inspiration for Gujarat’s massive Kalpasar freshwater reservoir project
The visit to the Afsluitdijk Dam shows direct similarities between the Dutch flood-control structure and India’s proposed Kalpasar project in Gujarat. The Kalpasar project aims to build a massive freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat while also integrating tidal power generation, irrigation systems and transportation infrastructure.
The Afsluitdijk Dam itself is a 32-kilometre-long dam and causeway that protects large parts of the Netherlands from flooding caused by the North Sea. It also helps store freshwater and is globally recognised as a benchmark project in flood control and land reclamation. Because Gujarat’s Kalpasar project also involves controlling seawater and creating freshwater storage, the Dutch model is seen as highly important for India’s future planning.
During the visit, both sides welcomed the signing of a Letter of Intent between India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The agreement focuses on technical cooperation for the Kalpasar project and is expected to help India benefit from Dutch expertise in hydraulic engineering and water infrastructure.
PM Modi says world can learn from Netherlands’ pioneering work in water management and flood protection
After visiting the Afsluitdijk Dam, PM Modi shared photographs from the site and explained why the visit was important for India’s future infrastructure and water management goals.
“An area in which the Netherlands has done groundbreaking work is water management. The entire international community can learn a great deal from this. This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the Afsluitdijk and gain insight into the key features of this project. I am grateful to Prime Minister Rob Jetten for accompanying me here. We are committed to bringing modern technology to India, which is intended to help with irrigation, flood protection, and the expansion of the inland waterway network,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
The two leaders also discussed broader cooperation in sustainability, innovation and climate resilience. Officials noted that Dutch expertise combined with India’s scale of implementation could create major opportunities for future partnerships in infrastructure and water resource management.
Strategic partnership expands beyond water management as PM Modi concludes Netherlands visit
The Afsluitdijk Dam visit also became a symbol of growing India-Netherlands relations under a newly strengthened strategic partnership between the two countries. PM Modi said his Netherlands visit had opened new possibilities for cooperation in several sectors beyond water management.
“My Netherlands visit has added new momentum to India-Netherlands ties. From elevating our relationship to a Strategic Partnership to expanding cooperation in water resources, semiconductors, innovation, defence, sustainability and mobility, we have charted an ambitious roadmap for the future,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi thanked the Dutch PM for the hospitality
“I express my gratitude to PM Rob Jetten for the warm hospitality and for personally coming to the airport to bid farewell. I am confident that the friendship between India and the Netherlands will continue to grow stronger in the years to come,” he added.
PM Modi arrived in The Hague on May 15 as part of his four-nation Europe visit. His next stops include Sweden, Norway and Italy.
(with inputs from ANI)
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
